The one-armed jacket is a micro-trend at New York Fashion Week

By Melissa Singer

September 11, 2018 — 12.00am

A model wears a one-sleeve jacket in the Tom Ford show at New York Fashion Week.

Photo: Supplied

September in New York is a funny time. On the first full day of fashion week, attendees struggled through temperatures in the mid-30s. By Sunday, US time, they were left doing early-morning runs to Zara for a jacket as temperatures hovered around the mid-teens.

But this isn't a story about the weather, rather a story about jackets. One-armed jackets, to be precise.

While the one-shoulder dress has been a trend for several seasons, the one-armed blazer is emerging as a micro-trend this New York Fashion Week.

If you've ever wondered whether an occasion – or the weather forecast – more befits a waistcoat or a jacket, this could be your answer: have it both ways.

Although you can't pick and choose which arm you have exposed to the elements. Ford's jacket bared the left arm; Lee's sleeveless element was on the right.

Does it make more sense to have the bare arm as the dominant arm, for instance the one you write with? Or perhaps that's the one that should be warm, while the other can be stacked with bangles?

The pieces are designed to make a statement about the hard/soft contrast between the armour (that is, clothing) we wear, and the flesh we choose to expose to the world.

But really, in the end, people have to want to buy it.

So, should you go there?

An office-ready jacket this is not. After all, it would be tricky to layer anything other than the faintest gauze-like top underneath. But if you're looking for an alternative to the one-shouldered dress for a formal event, paired with a hugging knee-length skirt or shorts, this could be a winner.